Following yesterday's over-long and over-complicated explanation of Star Ratings and ROPA Distinctions, here's a much simpler post along the same lines.

I received an email last Friday informing me:

Congratulations: You are eligible to enter the annual IMAGE OF THE YEAR competition for the Projected Image Division (PID)

I think I'd read something about this at some point, but I'm glad they reached out to me because I'd forgotten all about it. Quoting again:

The only images eligible are those that have won a Best of Show or a PSA Gold Medal

...but any images that meet that qualification in a particular year can compete for the honor of being the "Image of the Year." A single color image, and a single monochrome image, will be chosen for 2022 and given an overall Gold Medal. In addition, one Silver Medal will be awarded for each 100 entries.

Two of my images qualify! One black and white, and one color. I went back and looked to see which contests in 2022 provide the eligibility:

Dance in the Light (PIDC)

Color PIDC: "Dance in the Light," Dominique Zuniga, Valley of Fire, March 2016: Received a PSA Gold Medal in the "Shadows and Silhouettes (PIDC)" category of the Magic Life Salon in Turkey, which closed January 30, 2022.

Rest and Upheaval (PIDM)Rest and Upheaval
6I8A5363 (09-17-2020)
07-31-2018
Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

2021-05-02 Pirin Salon (Razlog, Bulgaria) (Nude PIDC): Accepted
2021-05-29 MTN Photo Salon (Kolkota, India) (Nude PIDM): Judge's Choice
2021-06-30 Marika Magazine (published in Toronto, Canada) (Summer 2021): Published
2021-07-02 Hilliard Gallery (Kansas City, Missoiuri), "14th Annual Contemporary Figurative Show": Exhibited
2021-07-05 Moscow International Foto Awards (online contest based in Moscow, Russia) (Amateur Nude), as part of a 7-photo series titled "Rest and Upheaval": Honorable Mention
2021-07-30 3 Square Art Gallery (Fort Collins, Colorado), "Figure That!": Exhibited with a Gold Award
2021-10-15 Kladovo Summer Circuit (Cuprija and Kladovo, Serbia; Vidin, Bulgaria) (Nude Mono PIDM): Accepted; Salon Gold (Cuprija)
2021-11-20 Shadowhunter Circuit (Serbia, Croatia, Malta, and Montenegro) (Nude PID): Accepted; Salon Silver (Croatia); Salon Ribbon (Serbia); DIPA Diploma (Montenegro)
2021-11-29 Clickerz International Salon (Kolkata, India) (Nude PIDC): Certificate of Merit
2021-11-30 Photo Fest Bitola (Bitola, Macedonia) (Nude PIDC): IAAP Bronze Medal

Monochrome PIDM: "Rest and Upheaval," Queen Dandelion, Rialto Beach, July 2018: Received a PSA Gold Medal in the "Open Monochrome (PIDM)" category of the Artistic Creations Circuit in India, which closed March 21, 2022.

Judging will take place in late May and is scheduled to be complete by May 30. I'll let you know how it goes!

By the way, I also received a PSA Gold Medal for my photograph "Death Valley Farewell" in the Nature (ND) category at Serbia's Good Light salon (May 7, 2022). Maybe there isn't an Image of the Year competition in that category. Or maybe they just haven't contacted me about it yet. I also see that I received PSA Gold for "Twice the Beauty," featuring Invy Rose on Mazama Ridge, at the Ramdhanu Circuit in India, which closed December 4, 2022. Unclear why that one wasn't included. And looking forward to next year, I already have a PSA Gold for "Classic," another Invy Rose image, in the PIDM category, at India's Celebration Circuit, which closed January 15, 2023; and a PSA Gold Medal for "Den lille havfrue," with Queen Dandelion at Rialto Beach, also in the PIDM category, at Serbia's NSAPK Circuit closing March 1. (I wonder if it has to be a "PSA Gold Medal" and not just "PSA Gold" as reported by Ramdhanu?)

P.S. Follow-up: it looks like the other categories, including Nature (ND), do have Images of the Year of their own, they just happen slightly later in the year. So I can expect an invitation to apply for the ND award as well. Cool!